Big HEED and ALIen

Big Heed & Alien met while playing instruments together in the church choir. Their childhood dream of making it big became a reality when an appearance on BET’s 106 and Park landed them a recording contract. Born Shaheed “Heed” Smith & Ali “Alien” Warren in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, Big Heed & Alien both began nurturing their musical interests early on. Alien started out on the back of his parent’s pots and pans and Heed with the first keyboard his mother bought for him at 10 years old. They both honed their skills during countless hours of isolation while on punishment. Alien remembers fondly, “My mother realized I was having more fun [in my bedroom] than going to school, so she bought me my first drum set & piano and let me practice as a reward.” Separately they developed their talents exploiting the local music scene. Alien started out with local bands eventually playing drums for acts such as Air of Stereograph, B.O.B and Travis Porter. Already a talented MC, Heed was invited to a studio session with the Dungeon Family after meeting Andre 3000 at a performance at the Tabernacle. From that experience, he was able to log one on one time with Cee-Lo Green where he learned valuable skills that shaped him as a producer. In 2008, Merovingian Music executive Robert Watson convinced the two artists to join forces (Heed is the MC and Alien is the drummer; together they make up Big Heed & Alien). First performing at local Atlanta venues and prominent events such as the Annual Luda Day Block Party & the bi-annual Sweet Auburn Festival leading to an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park as part of Wild Out Wednesday. Eventually they were asked to return as the show’s first ever house band, playing for subsequent Wild Out Wednesday contestants. The grooming from Watson and Merovingian Music head Jack Ponti, (known for successes with Bon Jovi, India Arie, etc.) lead the duo to a deal with Battery Records/Jive Label Group. “From the moment we saw that unbridled passion and creativity in Big Heed and Alien on BET, we knew there was something special here,” says Ponti regarding the recent signing. With their music best described by Heed as, “totally out of this world,” they hope to spread a message of fun. Their debut album The Big Heed and Alien Show features their first single, “Tipsy,” which broke on Sirius Hits 1 radio, is a high energy record about how to use liquor to have a good time. “They have a really refreshing sound consisting of an MC and live drummer which completely cuts thru sonically. Their first single is a crossover smash with a very wide appeal” says Neil Levine, SVP & GM of Battery Records.